Vancouver, WA: Operation Schnitzel: Gustav’s Remains a Trusted Rally Point

Gustav's

1705 SE 164th Avenue

Vancouver, WA 98683

Phone number: (360) 883-0222

gustavsvancouver.com

Prices: $$$$

After redeploying from a few years abroad, we somehow always find ourselves maneuvering back to Gustav's--because in the AO of Portland-Vancouver, good, reasonably authentic German chow is harder to find than a clean porta-john in a warzone. Prices? Reasonable. Portions? Adequate firepower.

We hit the OBJ and, as usual, no wait. Immediate seating. No need for Close Air Support or a table reservation. The staff ran their mission tight--friendly, fast, and squared away.

The atmosphere? Straight out of a Bavarian forward operating base--warm, wood-heavy construction, stained glass, tall ceilings. Cozy, inviting, and well within German cultural ROE.

We kicked things off with the Fondue ($9)--a hot LZ of creamy cheese with German bread for dipping. Solid value. Good taste. Zero casualties.

My main op was the Hungarian Jägerschnitzel ($21)--breaded pork cutlet, mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes. Cutlet wasn't exactly a shock-and-awe portion, and it could've used more gravy for fire support, but overall, I was a happy camper.

My XO ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu ($24) with spaetzle--breaded chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese. Again, portions weren't the kind of heavy artillery you get in Munich, and there was no soup or salad backup, but she enjoyed every bite.

 

Not sure why this place keeps falling off our radar, but we'll maintain loyalty--because German restaurants in this theater of operations are few and far between, and Vancouver has exactly zero others as far as intel indicates.

CombatCritic Gives Gustav's Factory 8 Bombs Out of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better -- Unless You're On The Receiving End ... HOOAH

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

1.3+ MILLION VISITORS AND COUNTING ... HOOAH!

408,000 VISITORS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS ... OOH-RAH!

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 / '24 / '25 ... 12 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Gustav's on Yelp

Google 'Local Guide' (Level 7) - 677,631 Visitors in August 2023 Alone ... HOOAH!

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And       

   Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Vancouver, WA: Operation Schnitzel: Gustav’s Remains a Trusted Rally Point

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, Washington, schnitzel, German, Gustav’s, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, business, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2025 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Portland, OR: Original Hotcake House — Blink and You’ll Miss It, But Your Stomach Won’t

Original Hotcake House

1002 SE Powell Blvd

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 236-7402

hotcakehousepdx.com

Prices: $$$$

You’d walk right past this joint if you weren’t looking for it—and you probably wouldn’t step inside unless Yelp put it on your radar. That’s exactly how I ended up here, killing time between appointments at the nearby VA Medical Center.

The drill is simple: read the board, order at the counter, pay up, grab a number, and find a seat. No ceremony, no nonsense. Your food shows up fast. Easy peazzy.

I went with the classic combat loadout: two eggs over-medium, bacon, crispy hash browns, and a biscuit with a side of country gravy… HOOAH!

Execution? Nailed it. Eggs cooked perfectly, bacon thick and meaty, hash browns plentiful and done right, and a massive biscuit drowning in gravy. Mission accomplished. I left full, satisfied, and oddly respected.

Now let’s be honest—the place could use a facelift. It looks like it’s been through a few campaigns. But clearly, whatever they’re doing works. Bonus points: open 24 hours, which already puts them ahead of half the competition.

The staff were friendly, efficient, and squared away. And all this for about $20? That’s a win in today’s battlefield economy.

CombatCritic Gives Original Hotcake House 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better ... Unless you’re on the receiving end ... HOOAH!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

1.3+ MILLION VISITORS AND COUNTING ... HOOAH!

408,000 VISITORS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS ... OOH-RAH!

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "BLACK" ELITE '14 / '15 / '16 / '17 / '18 / '19 / '20 / '21 / '22/ '23 / '24 / '25 ... 12 Years Running ... HOOAH!

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Original Hotcake House on Yelp

Google 'Local Guide' (Level 7) - 677,631 Visitors in August 2023 Alone ... HOOAH!

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And       

   Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Portland, OR: Original Hotcake House — Blink and You’ll Miss It, But Your Stomach Won’t

Key Words: Portland, OR, Oregon, Original Hotcake House, original, hotcake, pancake, house, breakfast, open 24 hours, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu,  review, Yelp, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2025 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved